"You actually read books on growing vegetables?" Nangong Zeyue looked at the words on the white paper in surprise.

The label clearly stated the word "tomato," and it also included a picture without any colored ink.

"These tomatoes look pretty big."

"Most villagers don't understand the growth habits of vegetables when they grow them, so the tomatoes they grow are extremely small. From fertilization to flowering, the most crucial steps are removing blind buds and pinching off the tips. Without these steps, no matter how many flowers bloom, it will be in vain."

After listening to Jiang Shuyue's words, Nangong Zeyue realized that he did not understand Jiang Shuyue well enough.

She's like a treasure trove, always bringing surprises and delights.

"The glass paste is quite valuable. Aren't you worried that the villagers nearby might have ulterior motives?" Nangong Zeyue, having seen the dangers of the martial world, asked with some concern.

Jiang Shuyue picked up her teacup and took a sip. "I had Gao Mu pass on a message to the head of the estate. A few wooden houses will be built next to the greenhouse so that the people who grow vegetables can stay there in shifts. The Imperial Guards will also be delivering the glass paper. No one should dare to have any ulterior motives."

It wasn't that she wanted to use Xiao Jingzhao's influence; it was that Xiao Jingzhao sent Xiangyang with men to deliver the glass cloth to the estate intact.

Free labor is free, so why not use it?

Jiang Shuyue originally wanted to go to the estate with them, but everything she knew was theoretical, so she wouldn't be of much help even if she went.

Gao Mu said that they had built sheds and small wooden houses when they were on the frontier, and he roughly understood how to use glass to cover them.

With such a transparent roof and such expensive glazed tile, the frame naturally needs to be sturdy.

Seeing that he spoke eloquently, Jiang Shuyue asked him to go with Cangyun to the estate to supervise the construction until the greenhouse was completed before returning.

After summarizing the planting methods for the two vegetables, Jiang Shuyue yawned.

"Go and rest, I'm going to check on the grain shop." Nangong Zeyue left with perfect understanding.

At this moment, Qiuju was busy in the front yard, while Jiang Shuyue went back into the house, closed the door, and slipped into the space.

She calculated the time; the time it would take for her to get a good night's sleep in the space was exactly the time it would take to rest outside.

The temperature in the room was comfortable, and she quickly fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

After leaving, Nangong Zeyue made a point of greeting Qiuju and Lan'er, asking them not to come into the house and disturb Jiang Shuyue's rest.

Mei'er and her servant went out to buy groceries and haven't returned yet. They bought too many things today: beef, salt, flour, and white radishes.

In Wanling Kingdom, oxen cannot be slaughtered and sold for meat at will; selling beef privately is a crime.

Only cattle that are too old and weak to plow the fields will be sent to the ranch officials' office, where they will be checked to see if they meet the conditions for slaughter.

If the conditions are met, the ranch official will assess the value of the cattle and give the farmer a certain amount of silver. The cattle will then be slaughtered and sold by the ranch official's servants.

By the time Mei'er returned from shopping, Jiang Shuyue had already woken up and left the space.

She changed into a narrow-sleeved dress, and pulled all her black hair back.

"It's a rare day off, miss, what brings you dressed like that?"

"You'll see in a moment. Come with me to the kitchen. The cooks are quick and efficient; they can roll out dough faster than we can." Jiang Shuyue said, handing a packet of spices to Qiuju.

"Noodles for lunch?" Qiuju took the spice packet and sniffed it. There was a strong cinnamon aroma mixed with an unfamiliar fragrance.

"You'll find out soon enough." Jiang Shuyue said as she walked, rolling up her sleeves to reveal her fair wrists.

Once inside the kitchen, under Jiang Shuyue's guidance, the cook cut the beef into pieces and soaked it in water until all the blood was removed before putting it in a pot to cook with the spice packet.

Soon, the kitchen was filled with delicious aromas.

One cook was left to knead the dough, while the rest went to shred the radish.

"Thinner, even thinner."

Jiang Shuyue watched the cook roll out and cut the dough.

Seeing that the noodles cut by the cook did not meet her expectations, Jiang Shuyue simply took the knife and cut them herself.

"Miss, these noodles are so thin, this is the first time I've ever seen them made this way." Qiuju stood by with a winnowing basket in her hand.

The young lady said she was making air-dried noodles, and Qiuju was particularly curious whether air-dried noodles would taste just as chewy.

After cutting each bundle of noodles, Jiang Shuyue would use a small wooden stick to pick up the noodles and place them into a winnowing basket.

“Miss, isn’t this too much? Young Master Su Nan isn’t participating in the imperial examinations. Even if the eldest young master ate all this in the examination hall for ten days, he still wouldn’t be able to finish it.” Qiu Ju saw that her mistress had cut too much.

"Once everything is ready, send a portion to Young Master Zhen."

The old lady has already sent the butler Zhen to deliver pastries twice. It's only right to return the favor once.

The capital city of Dongling is located in the north, and the weather is already starting to get cool during the autumn examination season.

The candidates had to take three exams in the examination hall, each lasting three days and two nights, for a total of nine days and six nights.

Each examination room had a stove, and the candidates ate porridge with pickled vegetables for several days. Some even brought eggs to boil and eat poached eggs.

Some candidates were physically weak or lacked willpower, and some fainted or couldn't persevere inside.

The mistress and servant carried winnowing baskets to an open space in the garden. Qiuju asked, "Miss, how long will it take for the noodles to dry?"

Jiang Shuyue looked up at the sky. Clouds were floating in the sky, and the sun was blocked by a thick layer of clouds.

A gentle breeze brushed against my cheek, bringing a slight chill.

"Judging from this, it might rain tonight or tomorrow, but it's alright, the cook rolled the dough very thin, it will be dry before evening."

The two carefully hung the noodles up and returned to the kitchen, where they found that the shredded radish had also been cut.

Jiang Shuyue carefully explained the method for making shredded radish to the cooks. The cooks all knew how to make pickled vegetables, so they understood immediately.

Jiang Shuyue thought that this was the first time the cooks had pickled radish shreds. She watched from the side until the beef was cooked and the radish shreds were pickled, packed into a cloth bag, and taken to the backyard of the kitchen to weigh it down with a stone.

The cook cut the beef into strips as Jiang Shuyue instructed, and then watched her prepare it with wide eyes.

Heat oil in a pan, stir-fry the beef until the moisture evaporates, then add sugar and stir until melted.

"Miss, I've washed and dried all the blue and white porcelain jars." The aroma in the kitchen grew stronger, and Qiuju swallowed hard as she looked at the beef in the pot.

"Melt the lard," Jiang Shuyue instructed the cook standing to the side.

Soon after everything was ready, Jiang Shuyue put the beef into a fist-sized porcelain jar and then sealed it with lard.

"Miss, there are forty cans of beef here. What should we do with the rest?" Qiuju asked, worried about the two large bowls of beef strips that were still left unfried.

Jiang Shuyue gestured to the cook to wash the pot clean, and said, "The beef jerky we just made was sweet; the rest can be made spicy."

When a cook heard the young lady mention the spicy flavor, she quickly brought out dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns that she rarely used.

"Miss, leave the rest of the work to me. Just tell me how to do it, and I'll listen." The cook looked at the young lady's slender white fingers, which were slightly red, and couldn't bear to see her delicate hands doing the rough work in the kitchen.

"Alright then, stir-fry the Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers until they are crushed into powder, stir-fry the beef and then put it into the pot together and stir-fry with a little salt."

The rest is for our own consumption. It doesn't matter if we don't cook it well; we can just let the cooks practice.